The Boiling Rock
by peridxt
Summary: Rewrite of The Boiling Rock episodes if Sokka and Zuko were in a relationship.
Everyone sat around the campfire, chatting idly. Zuko didn't try to mingle or anything. These people already had everything figured out - why should he interfere? He stood up to walk away, but Sokka stood up too. He took the prince's arm and hissed, "I need to talk to you. In private." He led them away from the group - who was staring after them, weirded out - to a spot behind Appa and out of the firelight. Zuko blushed furiously and Sokka smacked his arm.

"That isn't what this is about. Jeez." Zuko grinned apologetically and Sokka got serious. "My dad... He was captured during the invasion." The firebender winced and his boyfriends set a tanned hand on his pale shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.

"Where would he be now?"

Zuko stepped back, tearing his amber-gold eyes from the gaze of Sokka's pale blue ones.

"It would only make you feel worse if I told you."

The water tribe boy gave Zuko a pleading stare and he caved.

"Fine. He's probably been taken to the Boiling Rock."

"The what now?

"The Boiling Rock. It's a top-security fire nation prison. We passed it on the way here on Appa."

"Top security?" Sokka scoffed disbelievingly. The firebender gave him a flat look.

"It's locked on an island surrounded by boiling water inside a volcano in the middle of the ocean."

"...oh." He replied, subdued. ".. But I mean, I could probably-"

"Are planning on going there?" The prince asked, his good eye twitching.

"No! No of course not! That's silly! I'm not up to anything!" Zuko rolled his eyes but conceded. He turned away, walking back to the fire. After a log while, everyone said their good-nights and went to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Sokka snuck out of his tent. He crept past the others and stepped over Momo, climbing up onto Appa with his satchel slung over his back. Just as he was about to haul himself into the saddle, a voice said

"Not up to anything, huh?" Sokka looked up, startled, and saw Zuko. He was so surprised he fell backwards and right off of Appa, landing none-to-softly on the stone ground. As he struggled to get up, Zuko jumped down silently. He caught his boyfriend by the hand, pulling him back up and steadying him.

"Look I know this is dangerous, but I have to do it. The invasion was my idea, so it's my fault. I have to save my dad."

"I know," Zuko said softly, his voice rough with emotion, "and I want to go with you." The water tribe boy was quite with surprise. He didn't think it would be this easy to convince him.

"Okay," He said, still a little dazed. Zuko smiled slightly but turned around before Sokka could be sure.

"You can't take Appa though," He said, gesturing at the bison.

"Why not?"

"Fire nation prisons don't exactly have bison daycare centers. We'll take the war balloon." The other couldn't argue with that logic, so he followed after Zuko silently.

They talked as they flew there, the prince occasionally firebending onto the coals to keep the balloon afloat. There was a companionable silence for a few minutes until Zuko broke it with the impossible question.

"How will you tell you girlfriend?"

Sokka looked down, avoiding the other's gaze. He didn't answer the question for a few moments and then he took a deep breath and sighed.

"I don't know."

"You'll have to," Zuko said, staring at the flames, "You can't get around it."

"I know... it's just... she's such a great person. I don't want her to hate me, or to hurt her." Sokka's clear blue eyes were masked by long dark lashes as his eyelids fluttered downwards. Zuko's heart hurt at the sight of him like this. He pulled Sokka around to face him and lifted his chin up so their eyes met. Softly, he pressed his lips to Sokka's and gave him a long, slow, kiss that was sweet and melancholy. He pulled away, keeping his fingers on Sokka's face, lifting them to stroke his face.

"I love you," Zuko murmured softly, emotion rough in a voice that broke on the third syllable.

"I love you too." Sokka blinked back the tears that threatened to track down his cheeks.

They started to dip and Zuko tried to bring them up, throwing fire into the right fire already burning there, but they kept falling into the steam from the volcano below.

"What's going on?" Sokka shouted into the hot mist, his voice frightened.

"It's not working! The air out there must be as hot as the air in here!"

"What are going to do?!"

"... Crash land?" Zuko answered, looking over at Sokka, worry clear on his face.

They fell faster and faster until they jolted to a stop and the cloth of the balloon collapsed on top of them. When they fought their way out of they looked around. They had crashed just outside of the prison walls. The balloon was useless, and the firebender pointed out as much. In answer, the other boy kicked the heap of metal and fabric into the boiling water. It disappeared into bubbling pool.

"What did you do that for?!" Zuko yelled, and Sokka said "It was useless anyway, and we don't want anyone to see it." They turned around to look at the fortress of a prison, and then back the way they had come from. "How will we get out?" Sokka shook his head. "I don't know. We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Zuko made a doubtful noise but didn't say anything.

They commandeered some guard outfits to blend in better. They asked around and discovered Suki was being kept there because she was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Sokka convinced Zuko to keep guard outside while he talked to her. He took a deep breath and stepped in, sliding the door shut on Zuko and everything outside of the small cell. A girl was lying on the thin cot and looked up when she heard him come in.

"Suki," Sokka breathed, grinning. He slid the face guard up with his thumb and smiled at her, holding his arms out.

"Sokka!" She exclaimed, and put her arms around him. They hugged tightly for a few seconds and pulled away.

"There's some stuff I need to talk to you about." Suki gave him a puzzled look but sat down next to him on the cot. Sokka took a deep breath. Then another. This would be hard, but it needed to be said sooner rather than later.

"I'm in love with someone else."

Suki went still and was silent. Sokka peered at her face anxiously. Her face was schooled in a neutral expression, and his heart sunk.

"I'm sorry," He said glumly, voice thick with guilt. She gave him a startled laugh.

"It's not that. It's just sort of funny, what with the timing."

".. What do you mean?" Sokka asked, confused but glad she wasn't entirely upset.

"I was... going to tell you. I'm in love with someone else as well."

"Who?" He asked, startled and his heart fell a little bit. Because even though he wasn't in love with her it still stung a little. This must be how Suki felt, he thought to himself. He looked back over at the girl and she was blushing slightly.

"... No, it's too embarrassing..."

"Come on, who is it?"

"... You won't like it..." She said, blushing more fiercely, but that only made him want to know more.

"Who?"

"... Katara," She sighed. Sokka choked and stood up, and Suki shook her head. She knew this would happen.

"M-my sister?" He squawked, shaken.

"I told you you wouldn't like it." He sat back down again, feeling a little light-headed.

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Who are you in love with? It can't be worse than mine."

"I think it could be," he muttered, half to himself.

"Well?" She asked expectantly.

"... Zuko."

She coughed to hide - in vain - her surprise and disapproval.

"Um - exiled crown prince of the fire nation Zuko? Who's been hunting the Avatar ever since he was kicked out? And, ahem, burned down Kyoshi island Zuko?"

Sokka bowed his head, mouth twisting slightly in anguish. "Yes." He lifted his head up suddenly, meeting her eyes pleadingly. "But he's changed! Honest!" He saw the reservations plain on Suki's face and continued quickly. "He helped me get here and is going to help bust you out! He's outside right now watching for any guards."

"Hm." Suki didn't look convinced, but Sokka sounded so sincere she didn't voice her suspicions. They talked longer, and Sokka old her his plan. They were nearing the end of their conversation when there was a quiet, urgent knock on the metal door. Sokka said it was the signal from Zuko, saying another guard was approaching. He opened the door and slipped out and was in the process of speed-walking as far away as possible as quietly as he could when the victimized guard Zuko had in a choke-hold behind said shouted, "Help, guard! I think he's an imposter! Arrest him!" Sokka had no choice; he couldn't blow his cover as well as Zuko's. He flipped Zuko over with only a token resistance from the man, and tugged his arms behind his back. "You're under arrest." As they walked to the warden, Sokka leaned forward minutely and whispered, "Suki knows." The prince's head was still bowed, but a smile flitted across his lips briefly. The plan might still work, despite the inconvenience.

Zuko was put in a prisoner's outfit and strapped to a chair. The door cracked open and he looked up in time to see the warden step through and loom above him menacingly.

"So, Zuko, I see I've caught you. The traitor prince."

"Aren't you going to turn me in and collect you reward?"

"Oh, don't worry, I will. But you won't get off the hook that easy - not after breaking my niece's heart."

The prisoner's head jerked up. "You're Mai's uncle?"

"Yes. But don't worry, I do intend to collect." The warden slithered out of the room, leaving Zuko alone with his thoughts - and the two guards outside of course. He couldn't face Mai. But he wouldn't have to - right?"

Sokka looked around and stepped into the shadows where Suki and Zuko were doing their prison duties.

"Good, you two have met," he said grinning. Neither of them returned the gesture.

"This isn't the first time we've met, actually," Suki said accusingly throguh gritted teeth, her eyes flashing angrily. Zuko bowed his regretfully.

"I'm sorry about that."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, prince." He didn't reply an Suki looked down at her work and concentrated on mopping. Sokka sighed. He hoped they wouldn't be like this the whole time.

"So what's the plan?" Zuko questioned in a quiet voice that didn't betray any emotion.

"Well, the cooler prevents firebending, right? So, to keep the cold in, it has to keep the heat out, right?:

"Get on with it, Sokka."

"Yeah, what's the point?" Suki asked, putting a hand on her hip and glancing at Zuko before settling her gaze on Sokka.

"We use the cooler to get across the boiling water!" He spread his arms, grinning. The other two thought quietly, and finally Zuko asked, "How o we get it into the water?"

"I did some looking, and there's a blind spot in between two watchtowers. We get someone on the inside to unbolt it, we carry it out there, and we're home free!" Suki was about to say something when another prisoner leaned his head over Sokka's.

"I heard you guys are busting out."

Zuko's hand clenched.

"You heard wrong." The man loomed intimidatingly.

"You guys are hatching a plan, and I want in."

"You're wrong," Suki said stubbornly, tilting her chin up defiantly. Sokka tried to look that cool and said, "Yeah. All we're hatching is.. an.. egg?"

Suki's eye twitched and Zuko slammed his palm into his forehead. The man rolled his eyes and said, "If you don't let me in on it, I'll tell the warden."

"Fine," Zuko reluctantly answered, and they explained the idea to him.

"All we need it someone on the inside of the cooler." The prisoner grinned. "I can do that."

Zuko leaned up against the wall of the cooler. The icy air smothered his firebending, and made him feel almost sickly. When would Sokka get here? He got his answer when the door slid open seconds after and a young soldier said, "I can let you out if you're learned your lesson, prisoner."

"I have," Zuko replied grinning, "completely." He showed Sokka the nuts and bolts that had originally bolted the cooler in place and were now resting inside the folds of his prison garb. Sokka lifted up the face guard and smiled excitedly. Zuko heard footsteps approaching, echoing down the halls close by. "Someone's coming!" He pulled the fake guard into the cell and slid the door shut quickly as he could without being loud. They huddled silently as the two guards passed by, talking to one another oblivious.

"We're getting a new shipment of prisoners today, so the warden's in a bad mood," The first man said and the woman snorted. "What kind?"

"Oh, just the usual. Traitors, thieves, a few war prisoners." They kept talking, but at this point Zuko looked sharply at Sokka, who looked frightened.

"War prisoners. That could by your father."

"I know. But what if he isn't there?"

"Should we go ahead, or wait another day?"

Sokka looked at Zuko, swallowing. "Do I risk Suki's freedom.. your freedom, on the off chance my dad is there?"

"Your call, Sokka." The water tribe boy looked so scared and conflicted, Zuko felt genuinely sorry for him. He put a hand on his shoulder and Sokka looked at him with anxious blue eyes. Zuko leaned over and pressed his lips tenderly to Sokka's. When they parted, the firebender said, "We should go."

Sokka and Zuko pushed and pulled the cooler down to the beach where the others were waiting. The prisoner, Jitsang, had also brought his girlfriend another friend. They were eager to leave, but Sokka hesitated. Zuko knew why.

"Are you going to stay?" Sokka's lips twitched into a pained grimace. "I don't know. If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, we wouldn't be in this mess." His voice quavered.

"You can't just give up because you're afraid you'll fail. You're gonna fail a lot before you get it right."

"Somehow this isn't making me feel better," Sokka said dryly but Zuko plowed on, ignoring the other's comment.

"Even though you'll keep failing,"

"Really not helping, Zuko."

"You have to try every time." The other didn't didn't say anything this time. Jitsang broke the silence by saying, "Are we going or what?"

Sokka turned back to survey the thick stone walls of the prison.

"I'll stay. You guys go."

Jitsang shrugged and he and his two friends clamored into the cooler. As started into the steaming water, Sokka turned around to see Zuko and Suki still standing on the beach, watching him with a sort of grim determination.

"I won't leave you, Sokka." Zuko said with finality, and Suki added, "I'll help you save your dad." He smiled tearfully at them.

"We should get back inside."

They hugged the wall as they climbed up the steps back into the prison. The uneasy silence ended abruptly as alarms sounded out suddenly all over the fortress.

"They've been caught!" Sokka yelled over the sirens, his eyes wide with fear. They sprinted the rest of the way up. The gondola docked just as they got to the top and they ducked behind a wall. The prisoners filed out as Sokka watched with his breath caught in his throat. The last one walked out and then there was nothing.

His dad wasn't there.

His head fell and Suki and Zuko put hands on his shoulders, sharing his sorrow. They had risked it all for nothing.

"Hey you! In the back! Get out here!"

Sokka looked back up warily, trying not to get his hopes up. A tall man stepped out of the shadowed doorway of the gondola reluctantly. He had dark brown hair braided with blue water tribe beads that matched his pale eyes, the same as Sokka and his sister's.

"Dad," Sokka whispered, his heart in his throat. He turned to the other two, his eyes shining with tears of relief.

"He's here," He choked out. He hugged Suki weakly and she smiled at him. Zuko clasped the boy's hand in his and said firmly, emotion edging his voice and almost coloring his tone, "We'll get him out, Sokka."

Sokka looked around and opened the door to his dad's cell, slipping in quietly and closing the metal door shut behind him. The water tribe man was standing up when Sokka turned back around, and the boy pulled up the mask and breathed out happily, grinning. "Thank goodness you're okay, Dad!"

"Sokka!" His dad cried and hugged him firmly. "My son."

They sat on the floor and talked. The others from the invasion were at another fire nation prison near the palace. He had been singled out as the leader and been brought here. The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors were there as well.

"Their leader Suki is here too. She's coming with us."

"That's good," his father said, smiling at him. His son fidgeted uncomfortably, knowing he'd have to tell his father just like he had Suki and the others back at the camp eventually. He especially dreaded Katara's reaction to the news.

"There's another thing. You know Zuko, the fire nation prince?"

"I don't know him but I know of him." His dad said edgily.

"He's on our side now. He's ere too." The water tribe man looked doubtful. He also noticed something.

"What are you not telling me, Sokka?" The boy looked away. "He's also kinda... my boyfriend." He flinched, avoiding his dad's eyes. He felt an arm go around his shoulder comfortingly. He looked up into his father's face and saw a smile there. He hugged his dad and their talk turned to escape. After a while, they came up with a plan.

Sokka looked discreetly around and leaned back towards the slit in Zuko's cell door.

"Zuko," He breathed, and after a few seconds he got an answer.

"Yeah?"

"Me and my dad have a plan. Meet us in the yard during the riot." Zuko was confused to say the least, but he muttered an affirmative and sank back down into his cell and sat on his cot. Sokka started waking again when two guards stopped him with a shout.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"My patrols," He replied nervously, trying to keep his voice even.

"Oh. Well get on with it then," the other guard ordered and Sokka walked off as fast as he could manage. He looked back and saw them dragging Zuko out of his cell.

"Where are you taking me?" Zuko demanded in a shout.

"The warden wants to talk to you."

"What for?!"

"I didn't ask," The guard sneered Sokka gulped and kept walking. Would Zuko be able to join them?

Zuko was thrown at the wooden chair. He struggled into a sitting position.

"What is this about?" He asked, but the guards just assumed their positions outside the door.

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Come on Zuko, we both know that's a lie."

A tall girl with shining black hair stepped out of the shadows.

"Mai! How did you know I was here?"

"Because I know you."

"Uh, I do-"

"The warden's my uncle, stupid."

"Oh yeah."

"The truth is, I guess I don't know you."

"Mai..."

"A letter? All I get is a letter? You could have at least looked me in the eye when you ripped my heart out."

"Mai, I-"

"Dear Mai, I'm sorry you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving."

"Stop it!"

Zuko stood up and she snapped the scroll shut.

"What?" She She snarled, her tone cold and flat.

"I'm with someone else now." His voice sounded soft and sad compared to the girl's.

"What's her name?" She demanded and you could her the thickness of witheld tears.

"You wouldn't know them."

"What's her name?"

"Sokka."

He bowed his head, but she just jerked it back up and forced him to meet her eyes. She was angry to say the least. She slapped him open palmed, dragging sharp nails across his face leaving red lines of blood behind. Zuko wiped the blood off with his hand.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not good enough."

Sokka slid into Suki's cell and flipped up his face guard.

"What's going on, Sokka?"

"Me and my dad have a plan."

"Well?"

"We'll escape on the gondola! We'll take a hostage so they won't cut the lines."

""Um, how are supposed to get on the gondola?"

"We're going to start a prison riot!" Suki still looked very skeptical, but went along with it.

"So say you're crazy plan works. The warden will still cut the lines, even if we do have a hostage."

Sokka grinned and held up a finger.

"Not if the warden is the hostage." Suki looked stunned but slowly smiled.

"Oh Sokka, that's good! I just hope it works," She said. Sokka looked worriedly at the door. He hesitantly looked back at Suki. "I should go. The guards will be suspicious." He slipped out the door and started walking away.

"Hey, you!"

Sokka froze. He turned around to see a guard pointing straight at him.

"Who, me?"

"Yeah, the warden wants to see you."

"Couldn't I schedule it for another time? I'm kinda busy right now," He tried to walk away but another pair of guards stopped him and pinned his arms behind his back.

"Right now."

They marched him through the corridors and pushed him out into the light and forward and into a line of other guards and soldiers. He saw the warden glaring at them all and tried to hide behind the guy next to him.

"One of you," the warden announced, "is an imposter." He turned to the man behind him.

"Do you see him?" The man stepped forward and Sokka recognized Jitsang. He seized up with terror and his throat closed up.

"I do." The hulking man stepped forward towards the line. Sokka closed his eyes and braced himself.

"It was him, warden." He flinched and opened his eyes a little bit, expecting to see Jitsang's huge finger pointing right at him. That wasn't what he saw. He craned his neck and caught the sight of Jitsang indicating the firebender who had thrown him in the cooler earlier. The warden's eyes flashed and he smiled like a crocodile.

"Arrest him." The man shouted in objection as other guards grabbed his arms and started to pull him away. He yelled that Jitsang was a liar and that he would never help him and so on. Sokka breathed a sigh of relief. They were still safe.

Suki looked up when her door squeaked open and she saw the other prisoners running to the yard. She was confused at first, the she remembered the plan. She stepped out of her cell and made her way to the yard along with the other inmates. She spotted Sokka's dad and pushed through the crowd to his side. Sokka ran up to them and said "Good, you're all here. Now all we need to do is start a riot."

As his dad tried to pick a fight unsuccessfully, Jitsang walked up to them. "I heard you guys have another plan. I want in."

"Fine. We're trying to start a riot." Sokka looked at him thoughtfully. "Would you know how to start one?"

"A riot? Sure." He picked up an inmate shorted than himself and lifted the poor man over his head shouting, "Hey! Riot! Riot!" Everyone immediately started fighting and firebending. Zuko jogged up to them, flipping a guard off his back.

"What do we do now?" He yelled over the noise.

"We get the warden and get to the gondola!"

"How do we do that?" Sokka looked back at him with wide eyes. "I have no idea." Zuko's eye twitched. "How could you not think this through?!"

"You were the one telling me not to think things through!"

"Maybe some things, but this is kind of important!"

"Hey fellas," They both turned to Jitsang, who was pointing, "I think your girlfriend's taking care of it." Suki was walking on the heads of the prisoners like they were stepping-stones. She scaled the walls and knocked out the guards. Once she had gotten to the warden, she bound his hands and gagged him. Sokka turned towards the gondola. "Let's go."

Sokka and the others ran towards the gondola. They stopped when the firebenders at them. Zuko stepped in front of them and set it out with a wave of his hand.

"We've got the warden!" The warden turned around, trying to talk through the gag, and the men stood down. They made it onto the gondola. Zuko pulled the lever and the gondola started moving along the cable. He also pulled the metal lever off for good measure. The gondola had already moved away from the platform and was moving farther away by the second. He ran and jumped at the gondola. Sokka leaned out the side and panicked; it looked like Zuko would miss and fall short. He held a hand out the window, as far as he could without falling himself, and caught his boyfriend's hand. He pulled him up through the window and into the compartment. Zuko landed close to Sokka, getting into each other's personal space. They lips were two inches apart, and Zuko took a sharp breath and Sokka blushed. "What the hell were you thinking?" Sokka said, changing the subject, and too relieved to be exasperated. Zuko snorted. "Making sure they can't stop us." Sokka blinked. "Oh." Zuko grinned, and Sokka smiled back tentatively. "Way to think ahead." Sokka's dad was looking back at the platform nervously. "Who's that?" The two teens leaned out the window to see what his father was referring to, and standing on the platform was Azula and Tai Lee.

"It's my sister and her friend." Suki leveled her gaze at the girls out the window with a grim determination. "This is a rematch I've been waiting for." "Me too," Zuko said and he leaned far out of the window and grabbed hold of the railing on the top, pulling himself onto the roof of the gondola. Suki and Sokka followed suite. Sokka pulled out his sword, standing to the side and slightly behind Zuko. Tai Lee was sprinting towards them, walking on the cable like it was a tight rope, and Azula was right behind, propelling herself with flames while holding onto handcuffs clamped over the wire. Tai lee jumped down and landed lightly in front of Suki, while Azula stepped onto the roof and faced Sokka and Zuko. She smirked and threw two fireballs at them, which Zuko quickly stopped. He blasted a jet of flame at her and Sokka moved forward and swung at her, stepping back behind Zuko before she could bend any fire at him. They fought for a while, exchanging blows with Azula until Sokka started to notice the gondola slowing down. Tai Lee shouted, "They're cutting the lines!" Sokka looked down the line and saw the guards getting a large saw over the cable and start sawing away.

"Then it's time to leave." Azula and Tai Lee jumped over to the gondola going the other direction that was passing by theirs. The one everyone else was standing on stopped abruptly, and Sokka slid on the roof, all the way to the edge, and was about to fall off when Zuko grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto his feet. Suki had slipped back into the compartment with the other, and the two boys followed her under.

"They're cutting the lines," Suki panted. Sokka's father looked back where they were dragging the huge saw over the thick black cable.

"Who's that?" Zuko looked out the window.

"It's Mai!" He exclaimed. She was throwing knives at the guards, pinning them to the ground. She pulled out the metal scrap stopping the gondola and looked up at them. She looked Zuko dead in the eye then turned away, hair swinging. A few minutes later they landed at the top and ran out. Jitsang tossed the warden back in the gondola, not even bothering to untie his bonds. Sokka's dad looked back at him and said, "Sorry Warden; your record is officially broken."

Zuko stopped on the hill, looking around like he had forgotten something.

"What is it?" Sokka asked, stopping in his tracks and looking around, alert.

"My sister was here."

"Yeah, and she's probably right behind us," Sokka answered edgily.

"No, I mean she must have come here somehow." Zuko looked around and his gaze fell on a massive war balloon tied down ahead of them. "There."

As they flew the balloon back to their camp, there was only some talking, mostly between everyone else other than Sokka and Zuko, who where sitting next to each other in silence. Everyone was hanging out in the same room, talking among themselves. Sokka broke it halfway through the journey, after spending the first half with puckered lips and brow, thinking. He tugged the other's arm and Zuko looked over inquiringly.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"If you hadn't helped, I would be in that prison right now."

"..It is, literally, the least I could do."

"Oh. Yeah, I suppose it is." Sokka flashed Zuko a dazzling smile in response to the dry look Zuko gave him. Zuko hesitated and then added,

"If I hadn't helped you would have ended up taking Appa and getting lost, you know."  
"Yeah, I know." Sokka smiled again and Zuko rolled his eyes.


End file.
